Two more on the road. Undoubtedly relaxed after breezing through the Coconut Coast Classic in Hawaii and sticking around to soak up some rays, the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team gets back to work in a big way later this week. Following a 10-day Christmas break, the No. 8-ranked Falcons (1-1, 8-1) resume play by facing No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona (6-1), the defending NCAA Division II champion, at the CCAA/GNAC Challenge in Pomona Friday (Dec. 28). SPU, which has won 18 straight regular season non-conference games meets Cal State L.A. (2-5) in the second round Saturday (Dec. 29) to complete a stretch of six consecutive games on the road. Great Northwest Athletic Conference play resumes at home against longtime rivals Seattle University (0-1, 5-4) Jan. 3 and No. 19 Western Washington (2-0, 7-1) Jan. 5.

Familiar foes. This weekend's tournament not only features three nationally-ranked teams (Western Washington is the other) but also a rematch of last spring's West Region championship game. The Falcons were denied their second trip to the Elite Eight in four years in heartbreaking fashion when Cal Poly Pomona scored the decisive basket with 1 second remaining, winning 63-62. The Broncos went on to win the national title behind regional and Elite Eight MVP Aprile Powell.

Long-lasting implications. The outcome of Friday's game could have a lasting effect on the playoffs in March. The top seed in the West will serve as host for the regional and these are the final crossover games before both GNAC and CCAA teams resume league play. Prior to sweeping their games at the Coconut Coast Classic in Hawaii last week, the Falcons were listed at ninth in the initial regional ratings. Sonoma State is No. 1, followed by Pomona and Chico State. Central Washington was the highest-ranked GNAC team at No. 4. Nationally, SPU held its position at No. 8 last week. The next rankings will be released Jan. 8.

Hawaiian punch. Seattle Pacific's trip to Hawaii was the perfect send-off prior to Christmas. First, the Falcons took care of business, beating Kentucky Wesleyan (77-61) and Stonehill (76-64), one of the stronger teams from the Northeast. Michelle Beaumont (Fr., 5-11, Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) scored a career-high 18 points in just 19 minutes off the bench in the first game. Center Kelley Berglund (Jr., 6-3, Port Angeles, Wa./Pt. Angeles-Washington State) led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds versus Stonehill, a team which beat nationally-ranked Bentley earlier this season. After the tourney, Coach Gordy Presnell took the team from often-damp Hilo to the famous sun-baked sands of Waikiki in Honolulu for three days before the flight home.

Best is yet to come. While they won, the Falcons' shooting continued its cool streak. They have shot under 49 percent in each of the last nine periods and since reeling off four straight 100-point outings, they have not budged above 77 in the four games since. In those four games, their field-goal percentage is a combined 40 percent­just a couple points above their foes. Largely the difference has been turnovers (plus-25 during the span). For the season, Seattle Pacific leads the GNAC with a field-goal percentage of .471.

Put-backs. Berglund rebounded from a season-low two points vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (she'd scored only four in the loss at Northwest Nazarene) to effectively muscle inside against Stonehill. She made 7-12 shots from the floor and 7-10 free throws...Stephanie Urrutia (Jr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) snared 10 rebounds vs. KWC, including eight off the offensive glass...Kerie Hughes (Jr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mt. Vernon) was the team's top scorer in Hawaii, with a total of 25 points (6-10 FGs). Ten of her 14 points vs. Stonehill came from the line. She also added four steals. Hughes is hitting 55 percent from the field after shotting just 41 percent in her first two seasons...Emily Faurholt (Fr., 5-11, Kennewick, Wa.) broke out of a three-game shooting slump vs. Stonehill, hitting 6-10 from the floor and scoring 12 points. She's the team's No. 3 scorer (11.9) on the season, behind Berglund (14.9) and Urrutia (12.6)...SPU shot a season-high 36 free-throws vs. Stonehill...As a team, the Falcons rank first in the GNAC in scoring (86.9), margin of victory (+29.8), field-goal shooting (.471) and blocked shots (4.9)...Individually, Hughes is ranked second in assists (5.9) and three-point shooting (.615), third in free-throw shooting (.893) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.77). Urrutia is second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3), third in blocks (1.22), fourth in assists (4.6) and seventh in scoring (12.6). Kristin Poe (So., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa./Enumclaw) is fourth in steals (3.1). Berglund is fourth in scoring (14.9), third in field-goal accuracy (.578) and sixth in blocks (0.89). Valerie Gustafson (So., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) is seventh in blocks (0.88)...Presnell is seven wins away from 300 for his career.

Opponents & series notes. The Falcons hold a 2-1 edge in series with Pomona. The Broncos' 10-game win streak stretching into last season was snapped by North Dakota State Dec. 1. Powell, the All-America pivot, has missed the last six games with a knee injury but she may return this week...SPU is 2-0 against Cal State L.A. The Golden Eagles, after 0-5 start, have won their last two...The rivalry with Seattle U. dates back to 1977. SPU has won the last 11 meetings but still trails the series 23-19. The last SU victory came in 1995 at Brougham Pavilion...Western Washington has been an SPU nemesis for the past three seasons, winning seven of eight encounters, including one in the postseason. The Vikings finished second to Seattle Pacific in the PacWest last season and were No. 2 in the preseason GNAC coaches poll. Overall, Western has won 44 of 55 meetings.

Tickets please. General admission for all SPU home games are $5 with students, youth and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Reserved tickets for doubleheaders are priced at $7 and $6. Teams or groups can quality for discount rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.

SPU Coaches. Coach Gordy Presnell began the 2001-02 campaign needing just 15 wins to reach the 300-victory milestone. Presnell has never registered a losing season in 14 years at the helm of the Seattle Pacific University basketball program. He took a team that had not recorded a winning record in nine seasons or earned a trip to the postseason and transformed it into a Division II powerhouse. During his tenure, the Falcons have averaged more than 20 wins per season and qualified for the playoffs nine times, including an Elite Eight appearance in 1998. Lynne DeYoung is in her fifth season as an assistant coach under Presnell after recording a handful of three-point shooting records for the Falcons. Brett Hecko enters his first as an assistant coach this season.